By Gazette Staff
October14th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
A resident wants to talk to a member of Council – saying that today would be better than tomorrow.
The resident doesn’t want to be identified – typical of Burlington.
Dear Councillor Kearns;
I am following up on the questions I previously sent to you, copied to other members of Council, on September 25, 2025. Additional time has passed, and the situation has worsened. Diplomacy and patience have been exercised at every stage — that time has now run its course. Immediate action is required.
Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns
I am requesting a meeting with you to discuss these issues. As a taxpayer and long-time resident, I expect this situation to be reviewed and resolved without further delay.
In addition to the questions outlined in my previous email, please address the following:
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- Residency Requirements
Since extra time was granted for Golden Horseshoe Aquatic Club (GHAC) to meet the City’s residency requirements, that data and the calculation method should now be available as per the timeline previously stated. Will you disclose this information, in the interests of transparency and public accountability? - Contract Restrictions, Disclosure, and Advocacy Rights
The current contract between the City and the Burlington Aquatic Devilrays (BAD) reportedly restricts its Board and Head Coach from sharing or discussing its contents, or from proactively advocating for the club. Will the City release the full contract and related documentation, and remove any restrictions preventing BAD from advocating for themselves? - Transparency and Access to Information
Under FIPPA, taxpayers are entitled to access City contracts and supporting documentation.
Why has this information not been made publicly available, and when will it be released? - Council Accountability and Action. Given the circumstances, initiating a review/audit should be the bare minimum expected at council. This approach has been under consideration for several months. Will you bring a Motion to have Council call for a full review/audit in the immediate future?
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The pool allocation decision has become a major concern for swimmers.
Community Impact and Fairness
The pool allocation decision has become a major concern for swimmers, their families, BAD alumni, other sports clubs, and the public at large, and is now being viewed as an election issue. Families are facing additional costs and uncertainty, and Burlington’s reputation for supporting community organizations like BAD is being damaged. We need a City Councillor to champion for our sports clubs who are watching closely and expect fair treatment. Uncertainty is causing additional hardships. Swift, decisive action is essential not only to restore public trust but to meet the expectations of our community. Upon approval of the Motion, will you give this matter immediate and focused attention?
- Residency Requirements
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Urgency and Next Steps. Clubs must plan for the 2026–27 season by December — time is critical.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I expect a timely and substantive response, and I look forward to meeting with you personally and seeing this issue formally addressed.
Hello Cheryl
Yes swimmers just want to swim but I think anyone who has had their home taken from them if given the opportunity would sleep in their own bed. I think that we all know the RFP wasn’t handled properly by both teams and the city. GHAC would also be complaining I’m sure but they have pool time in Hamilton and all other pools they have been able to scoop up. GHAC is fat on pool time, I don’t remember BAD in the past taking all the pool time also in Hamilton before 2020, do you have that information?
Hello Cheryl
I would like to address your comment, “If there aren’t enough scraps left for an overflow does that not seem to indicate the swimmers just want to swim and are ok with GHAC and continuing in the Burlington pools?”.
My daughter swam for BAD up until the end of the summer this year and we moved her to the Hamilton club because BAD was not allotted enough pool time and sadly, her pool hours were cut significantly. This meant that she would be swimming less hours and paying more money because, given the circumstances, BAD had to raise their costs to cover extra fee’s incurred due to the cost of renting private pool time, which still did not give BAD enough pool hours. We determined that the hours available were not going to meet her training needs and made the hard decision to leave. Now we drive to Hamilton and Brantford five times a week to get her to practice. We were not okay with joining GHAC for a variety of reasons and although my daughter “just wants to swim”, GHAC was not the answer for many BAD swimmers. The ones that went to GHAC did so because they do not have the ability to drive their kids to other cities and do want their kids to swim. There are many of the previous BAD families that, like us, now drive to Oakville, Milton and Hamilton so that our kids can swim with an appropriate club. So no, we aren’t okay to just continue with GHAC but we would have LOVED to stay in Burlington, we just didn’t feel like that was a viable option for us anymore. There might have been issues on both sides with the RFP but it’s the kids that have been hurt the most by this. My daughter misses the friends she has swam with for the past several years. The fact that no other youth sport in the city has to fight for time in this way is mind boggling. How the city feels that this is a fair or appropriate way to deal with the issue is beyond me. I, for one, will not be forgetting about this fiasco come re-election time as this issue has impacted my family and others deeply.
Helen. Thank you for your thoughts and information on your family’s personal situation. GHAC was to have taken over all the Burlington available pool time by winning the RFP. That should have had guaranteed your daughter the same pool time as last year with BAD. However, it might be that the City made things worse in trying to please everyone when after the RFP award to GHAC it split the available time between GHAC & BAD. I suggest the City ended up pleasing nobody and screwing swimmers like your daughter who are now unable to get their required pool time in Burlington.
I hear you as respects the next municipal election. But please do not wait until then to make a noise about this matter. Your noise may get lost in the noise about other issues like the budget, property taxes etc. Please attend Councilor Kearns’ “Up-Date Meeting” this Wednesday (22nd) in room 247 at City Hall (I believe it is the room next to Council Chambers) and make your concerns and feelings known.
Tom, unfortunately in Burlington, it seems that if one challenges city hall over certain issues there is retribution. It is for that reason there are times when one decides not to put their name to an issue.
Pepper is well aware of this.
In this particular case asking for a meeting with Councillor Kearns would in my opinion not fall under this category.
It would be interesting to know how many residents of Burlington feel as strongly about getting transparency regarding this fiasco.
On many occasions, in this comment section, I have asked if anyone knows how many outside groups use Burlington facilities? Are there only Burlington groups renting ice time is one example?
I responded to posting of your to another article here advising Councilor Kearns will be holding her next residents update meeting at 7:00pm on October 22nd in Room 247 at City Hall (the room next to Council Chambers).
Councilor Kearns for the first hour gives her overview of recent happenings at Council and the status of the downtown developments. For the second hour the councilor takes questions from the floor.
It is possible to join the meeting remotely but that does not have the same impact of being there in person
Those who really want City Hall accountability and don’t just stamp their feet like an upset child will attend that meeting and ask the hard questions. Tom, Penny don’t be a pouting child. Turn up and speak up!
Penny – I point to the Editor’s note. I have respect for the resident because of the proactivity – much more than many and privacy is a matter that needs to be respected. The questions do seem appropriate too no matter the outcome. It’s clear to most there has been a very unfair decision that needs to be revisited.
Once again a resident chooses not to stand up and be counted.
I have no respect for those who do this. I also discount anything they have to say or ask for.
Editor’s note: How many times did you ask us not to use your name when you were active in the community?
Perhaps the ECOB could take up the plight of the children of Burlington?
What plight? GHAC should likely be able to meet their needs. BAD can take any overflow if needed.
There in lies the issue, GHAC has cannibalized the BAD roster already and like most cannibals they haven’t left much in way of scraps, there is no overflow just those who decided to take a chance and stick around out of a dislike of GHACs predatory actions during the beginnings of this fiasco.
Blake, did you have the same feelings in 2020 when BAD won that RFP & was awarded exclusivity to the City allotted pool time at the expense of two other swim clubs. Those two swim clubs until that time had a share of the City allocated time. BAD would have had to, as you put it, through its predatory actions cannibalize the memberships of the two other clubs.
If there aren’t enough scraps left for an overflow does that not seem to indicate the swimmers just want to swim and are ok with GHAC and continuing in the Burlington pools?